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August 24, 2005

Pump it up  Its the hot-button issue for many metro Detroiters  what the fuck is up with gas prices? Far and wide you can hear locals scream in agony and fury at the pump, as prices continue to insidiously creep closer to the once-unfathomable $3-a-gallon mark.

Fortunately, at detroitgasprices.com you can scavenge for the cheapest price at the pump nearest you. Or, you can search by city: Choose your city and find the prices of the stations in your hood. (The prices reported are from the last 24 hours, so some variation will be inevitable.) Theres also a hall of shame, so to speak, listing the highest prices (most of which are just a dime or so away from $3). The site relies on reports from site participants who log on to report the latest prices. Theres also a forum where you can kvetch to your hearts content about the strain on your wallet, as well as ask the larger question: What can we, as civilians, do to fight back against this phenomenon when most of us are reliant on our cars by necessity (cough no reliable public transportation cough).

The site is part of a national web of similar sites, housed under gasbuddy.com, which charts gas prices in all 50 states and a good chunk of Canada, so send it to all your buddies across the country and spread the word  and, in the meantime, consider buying a bicycle.

Know of an interesting, bizarre or informative Web site you’d like to see featured here? Send it to backslash@metrotimes.com